2021 Map of Avenal Gap

About this map

The Governor Edmund G Brown Coastal Branch California Aqueduct serves as a modern engineering spine through this arid corridor of Kings and Kern Counties, cutting between the Kettleman Hills and the Pyramid Hills. This landscape is defined by its dramatic geological transitions, where the Kettleman Plain meets the Antelope Plain at the narrow passage of the Avenal Gap. The map illustrates the physical geography of the Central Valley's western edge, documenting prominent rises like South Dome, Mid Dome, and Boulder Hill. In a region where water management is paramount, the presence of Alamo Solo Spring and the drainage of Arroyo Pozo highlight the natural hydrology that predated the massive aqueduct system. Cattle-ranching and oil-industry heritage are suggested by the network of ridges and canyons, including Pintojo Ridge and Pepper Grass Valley, which provide a detailed topographical context for the 21st-century land use of this San Joaquin Valley borderland.